and a half
idiom
1
—used in measurements of time, distance, weight, etc., to indicate one half of the stated unit of measurement
My daughter is two and a half (years old).
The fish was a foot and a half long.
weighs ten and a half pounds
2
informal
—used to say that something is very good, large, difficult, etc.
That was a meal and a half!
Renovating a house is a job and a half.
Examples of and a half in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Israeli military has launched at least three major operations there over the past year and a half, arresting militants, tearing up roads and leaving many Palestinian civilians hiding in their homes in fear.
—
Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Start with small sessions of daily movement and gradually build up to two and a half hours each week (30 minutes a day for five days).
—Laura Schober, Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Before the festival’s flagship summer edition, Tomorrowland Winter happens March 15-22 at Alpe d’Huez, a ski resort in the French Alps roughly two and a half hours southeast of Lyon. 2025 marks the fifth edition of the event, which will host a crowd of roughly 22,000.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2025
Trump’s order hinges on convincing courts to upend a century and a half of judicial rulings by accepting his interpretation of a single clause in the 14th Amendment.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for and a half 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Start with small sessions of daily movement and gradually build up to two and a half hours each week (30 minutes a day for five days).
—Laura Schober, Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Before the festival’s flagship summer edition, Tomorrowland Winter happens March 15-22 at Alpe d’Huez, a ski resort in the French Alps roughly two and a half hours southeast of Lyon. 2025 marks the fifth edition of the event, which will host a crowd of roughly 22,000.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2025
Trump’s order hinges on convincing courts to upend a century and a half of judicial rulings by accepting his interpretation of a single clause in the 14th Amendment.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for and a half
Dictionary Entries Near and a half
Cite this Entry
“And a half.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20a%20half. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share